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Abstract

Exchange of intracellular sodium for extracellular lithium readily occurs in vascular smooth muscle, but the mechanism of this exchange is not known. These studies examined whether a sodium-lithium countertransport system was present in the cell membrane of vascular smooth muscle. A sarcolemmal-enriched vesicle preparation was obtained from canine superior mesenteric artery via a magnesium aggregation and differential centrifugation technique. An outwardly directed gradient for lithium stimulated 22Na uptake by the vesicles, and an inwardly directed gradient for lithium stimulated 22Na efflux. These effects were not due to an alteration in membrane potential, and sodium uptake was not stimulated by lithium in the absence of a gradient for lithium. The lithium gradient-stimulated component of sodium uptake was not affected by a change in membrane potential and was insensitive to ouabain. Both sodium-lithium exchange and sodium-proton exchange in sarcolemmal-enriched vesicles were inhibited by two compounds that inhibit the sodium-lithium countertransport system in red cells, phloretin and quinidine. Ethylisopropylamiloride also inhibited both sodium-lithium exchange and sodium-proton exchange in the vesicles. In support of the possibility that sarcolemmal sodium-lithium exchange and sodium-proton exchange are mediated by a single cation exchange mechanism with affinity for sodium, lithium, and protons, we found that an inwardly directed sodium or lithium gradient stimulated proton efflux, and that the stimulation of sodium efflux by external lithium or protons was not additive. It is concluded from these studies that sarcolemmal vesicles from canine superior mesenteric artery contain an electroneutral, phloretin, quinidine, and ethylisopropylamiloride inhibitable sodium-lithium exchange transport system.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)